How would you expect a boarding school to respond to this?

We actually raised this back when it happened in a letter to the Head and a meeting with his dean and never heard anything. I’m inclined to let it go as he’s about to graduate and I want to focus on the positive, but I think it is strange that they never responded at all. DS was 17 when it happened; it is possible that the coach didn’t realize that he was not supposed to wrestle at all; in retrospect we should have put this in writing. His previous concussion happened at a wrestling match (he was dropped on his head and blacked out) and DS didn’t tell anyone for a few hours. He underwent a complete personality change for a few days, it was very scary.

If the concussion was diagnosed and treated by a doctor and it happened at a school wrestling match, how would the coach NOT know? It makes me question the medical protocols at the school. This kind of stuff is taken very seriously these days.

@psparent - a friend’s son was recovering from a wrestling concussion when he fell off a stool at drama rehearsal and reinjured his head. Another friend’s daughter tripped at the mall, hit her head and got a concussion. Sports are the usual culprit for concussions, but everyday accidents can cause them too.

I heard a talk from a top concussion specialist last year who said the sport with the most concussions is synchronized swimming.

It can take a long time to recover, especially from multiple concussions.

I’m not sure what the school would say in response to your email. Perhaps an acknowledgement but I wouldn’t expect anymore than that.

Yes, I would expect a response (acknowlegement of receipt) and no, it would not include any acceptances of liability or wrongdoing. I would begin by noting you have received no response to your previous letter and I might think about sending it to the Head as well as the AD and health services. It sounds like there was a real breakdown in communications here that made it difficult for your child to get his health back.

If you are doing this to be constructive, it could help to make some specific recommendations.
You know best what these are – better, longer follow up with student and parent, written notice to athletic staff of students who are at risk, (with copy to parents), written report of all incidents that result in a concussion (with copy to parents ), consequences for any student causing such an injury if not completely accidental , etc.

I know our school 's concussion protocol involved advising all teachers and coaches, not simply so that they could modify what they requested /expected from an injured student but also so they could be alert to any signs that there were lingering problems.

It is entirely possible that this coach is a problem or that someone dropped the ball on reporting. If the powers that be do not know, they can’t address it.

It’s just plain rude not to respond to a communication from a parent. I absolutely would follow up, making clear that you’re not looking for any admission of fault but simply that you want to know your communications were received an acted upon in whatever way the school thought appropriate.

Has the school followed the applicable state laws regarding concussions & students?